The Cure (SYOC CLOSED!)
by PercyJacksonAlways
Summary: It has been discovered that the reason for demigod's abilities is merely a mutation in the genetic sequence. A team of researchers presents the "Cure" for all seeking to lead a normal life. Beneath the surface, however, something more sinister stirs, and things are almost certain to get messy when people try to play gods. It's a question of morality...and doing what's best. AU.
1. A Decision Made

**So after reading so many SYOCs, I've decided to do one too. Plus I've got an idea inspired by watching a couple of X-men movies :D It's an AU, with literally no demigods from the canon books. While I am straying a fine line away from how things would normally go in the Percy Jackson universe, I do hope you'll enjoy it. Maybe a little bit of different is good, huh?**

 **More information is found on my profile. I've also fixed up a blog to go with this story just to make things fun and give y'all a bit more idea on the characters and plot. You can check it out later.**

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 **Galen Vikander, 20, Son of Aphrodite**

"If the rest of us Aphrodite kids aren't about to skip dinner, you are not going to go on a diet either now, c'mon," the girl said, giving him a teasing pinch around his tummy.

Galen smiled, because he didn't want to give anything away; certainly not with what was filling his thoughts like a growing tumor in his mind.

"Don't worry, I'll catch up. You go ahead." He said.

"Alright then," Lindsey replied, "Sure you're feeling okay?"

 _It's the second time this week,_ he heard, except not with his ears. He heard it in his head, like an echo in the back of his skull. It was much clearer than the words she had spoken from her lips, though both the verbal and mental voice he heard belongs to his cabin mate. It was her thoughts...her unspoken thoughts that he could hear.

"Yeah, I'm good. Just save me a seat please."

She nodded, casting him a lingering glance before giving another reassuring nod and leaving the cabin. Galen watched her go, skipping towards the pavillion as her long, golden brown hair weaved with little, white periwinkle flowers flowed in the wind each time she leapt from foot to foot.

Now he was alone again, having pushed away one of the few friends he had who accepted his abnormal abilities and yet not cowering away from him. His eyes ran across the small haversack he hid in the corner of the room just beside his bunk. Inside, there were a few T-shirts, couple of denim jeans and some toiletries.

A folded up newspaper dating a week ago sat on his lap. Flattening it out, the cover page was a complete article on a breakthrough discovery. A scientist majoring in biological mutation from the International Laboratory of Biological Research (I.L.B.R.)has recently found the gene responsible for giving 'demigods' their powers. Young people claiming that they were children of greek gods have participated in the research, leading to this discovery. But what Galen was really interested in was that the scientist has found a cure.

And Galen would admit only to himself that he...maybe, could be cured. He could live with the fact that monsters will occasionally show up at unexpected moments in attempt to kill him. He could live being a pawn of the gods...carrying out duties for them. But it was much too painful to see others he know avoiding him, wary of his more unusual powers. This was a chance presenting itself to him, telling him that there was still a way to be a normal young man, being no different from mortals and no longer isolated. For the first time since he was 13, he could live an ordinary life.

Sighing, Galen got to his feet, creaking the bunk in the process. It wasn't like he would read everybody's minds on purpose. That was abusing his powers and it definitely wasn't polite. But every now and then, if someone near to him happened to be projecting their thoughts, he'd just hear them in his head.

A large part of him wished Aphrodite had just granted him the same powers as the rest of his half-siblings - beauty beyond compare, and perhaps charmspeak. Sure, he was okay-looking, he thought, but why, why telepathic abilities? Why must he be different.

He rolled up the newspaper which had fallen to the floor and threw it back on his bunk. It wouldn't do to be too late for dinner. After all, he was the head counselor of the Aphrodite cabin.

Stride out of the cabin, he felt a gust of wind tousled his hair drying up the thin sheen of perspiration which had formed on his forehead and back. He took up a slow jog midway as his stomach growled in protest, and embraced himself for the headache to come.

As he sidled up between the mess tables to reach the other Aphrodite children, the loud chatter reached his ears at first. Then, gradually, the _other_ noise starts to build up. And because it was so crowded, there were so many different voices and phrases and thoughts seeping into his mind. He tried his best to blot them out, but it was futile. He couldn't concentrate.

"Galen! Here! Have a seat!" Lindsey called, tapping a spot on the bench beside her.

He scooted around the others and slipped into the seat, muttering his thanks, loading his plate with cheese pizza and french fries. A headache was kicking up, like someone was pressing an invisible crown upon his head.

 _...at least dinner...better…_

 _...new television...camp...try…_

 _...shit...may...hear…_

Some of the campers sitting near him moved away, including his own half-siblings, throwing wary glances at him, and whispering to their friends that he was nearby. Galen tried to ignore them, but he couldn't. The pounding in his head continued to worsen, until thankfully, Lindsey distracted him.

"We've got a new TV set. The Athena kids helped to install a part to make it stop attracting monsters," she said, gently cutting her potato into small bite-sized cubes.

"That's great. Any programmes interesting?"

"I haven't checked, but we're trying it soon. See there?" She pointed at the front of the mess hall, where a few Hephaestus children were meddling with some metallic looking junk.

"Mmhmm," Galen nodded, "wait...is that the TV?"

Lindsey spiked a cube of potato on her fork and popped it into her mouth. "Yup! They're fixing it up. Should be ready anytime soon."

She was right. And the Hephaestus kids were fast. What had previously looked like a pile of junk metal had taken the form of a wide-screen television. It was currently playing some korean drama.

His siblings sitting at the table cooed and glued their eyes to the screen. It wasn't a surprise - Aphrodite kids loved drama, whether it was fictional or real. As for himself, not so much, but he didn't have a problem with watching it either.

 _Click._ The channels changed. Now it was showing some news. Coincidentally, as they watched for a few minutes, the news logo flashed red as the words BREAKING NEWS ran across the screen.

A woman in her early thirties was standing on a podium, wearing a formal, white blouse and dark grey skirt, complete with red stilettos was giving an announcement to a sea of people. Straight bleached blonde hair framed her face, as she spoke. Her face was one that Galen had seen in numerous reports.

"These people who came to us seeking help claims they are demigods, which means children of the gods; greek gods in particular. While I cannot refute nor accept their claims, the International Laboratory of Bioscience Research, also known as the I.L.B.R., has discovered that their psychic abilities are due to a mutation in the Q2KA06 genome, which is caused by the effects of solar radiation."

Well, that's pretty bullshit, Galen thought. It was due to the gods...not science.

"While side-effects are not clear, the long term effects of the mutation is servere if not handled early. Early aging and complications in the reproductive system are some of the consequences. Fortunately, we have developed a Cure. Though tedious, by splicing the affected sequence and manually re-coding the genome, the mutation can be reversed with a high success rate. Hence we urge everyone who suspects he or she is affected, to get the Cure. We invite you to our Laboratory where our team of professional doctors will take you under their care."

He had known all along that they were working on a Cure, but was never informed that it was readily available and that the entire procedure was risk free. He could be normal - a regular guy in his twenties - for once.

His had decided. His mind, for once, had blocked out the noise and cleared his thinking. He was certain of what he was going to do. The Cure was the answer to all his problems...the feeling of isolation and loneliness. And he was going to take it.

The other children were discussing the validity of the news, but Galen wasn't interested. He had stood up.

"I left something in the cabin. Hang on." He said, then he dashed towards the Aphrodite cabin, away from the other demigods. Away from everyone else who, like him, had 'psychic abilities'. He was going to be normal.

He did hear Lindsey screaming his name in his head, but he shut it out. It was time to put this all away, and head towards a new future.

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 **Hopefully you guys are hooked? I tried. Do leave a review! Form's on my profile!**

 **Also, by no means will Galen be the leader in this story. All the OCs I use will have their time to shine. Plus, I don't think Galen is keen on leading anyways :D**


	2. In Silence

**A big thank you to all the submitters! I've got a flooded inbox and almost all of them were so good! I had a hard time choosing only 5. I'm sorry if your OC was not selected.**

 **Blog has been updated with the selected Characters! And congrats to those who got in! Blog link can be found on my profile!**

 **And enjoy!**

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 **Ciara Ann Williams, 18, Daughter of Hecate**

The browning leaves swirled in small spirals on the leaf-littered grounds, giving off a soft crackling sound. The birds sang their final song before retiring into the warmth of their nests. Ciara sat on the forest floor just at the entrance of Camp Half-blood, soaking in the soothing atmosphere and watching the few campers strolling back to their cabins after their last activity for the day.

The grounds were serene and still again, like every night before this, just half an hour before the harpies did their rounds. Nobody wanted to be caught outside their cabins after hours, and neither did she. But she had to wait until this brief window of time before doing the ritual - it was the only time she could have some peace and quiet to go about her more private business.

Ciara would only do it here, in the forest, at the entrance to camp, because it brought back memories of her dear brother. They were supposed to be out there...exploring the forest, going on an adventure together and having _fun_. Until a Minotaur attacked out of nowhere. She was too young...too naive...untrained. The Minotaur had knocked her to one side, where she stumbled over a large stone and broke her leg, and dismissed her. When she awoke back in the healer's room, her brother had long gone.

There wasn't anything the others could do. They told her Michael had been very brave and had died a valant death to protect her. They told her he would go to Elysium. They told her many things, but her mind would not process it. Her ears were ringing, and her chest was heavy with grief.

It had been her fault. Her stupid arrogance. She'd persuaded her brother to go. Had she just been sensible, understood the danger, all these would never have happened. She missed him.

Now she rolled onto her knees, hearing the twigs snap under her weight. Then she careful pulled a small, black velvet pouch from the inside of her leather boots. Shaking six tiny jeweled stones out, she placed them in a diameter of about two meters.

Reaching out, Ciara placed her hands in the middle of the circle and closed her eyes. She imagined him in her mind's eye, smiling and laughing like he frequently did. And keeping that picture of Michael in her mind, she called his name thrice.

"Michael… Michael… Michael…" She whispered.

And when she opened her eyes, he stood in front of her, looking just as she remembered. The same umber hair they shared; the same warm chocolate brown eyes they both had. You'd think a ghost would be transparent, but that was all just a saying. The image - or projection or soul, whichever you prefer - was solid and colored. He stood there, so real, like every time before this, that Ciara can almost believe he was truly present.

One day if she'd met her mom Hecate, she'd thank her for giving her this unique gift. While the goddess of Magic, Crossroads and Ghosts usually grant their children magic, she'd given Ciara something extra - the ghost aspect. And for that, she was very grateful.

"I'm so glad to see you, little sister." Michael said, "but you mustn't keep doing this to yourself."

"But I can't." She replied.

"It saddens me to watch you grief over me. You've got to move on with your life. You're strong, Ciara. You can let me go."

"You don't understand."

"I do. Really, I do. It wasn't your fault. Besides, you know I won't really be gone. I watch over you all the time."

"I know. I can feel your presence. But sometimes I've got to see you...and talk to you face to face like this, you know?"

"You don't need to see me to know I'm around. We're brothers and sisters...we're always connected...deep inside." Michael placed his hand on her shoulders, and she felt an electrical current spread throughout her.

She didn't know what to say. And for a good five minutes, they sat in comfortable silence.

Michael removed his hand from her shoulders, and looked at her seriously. His tone had dropped a few notches. "I need to warn you, sister."

Sensing the importance in his voice, Ciara sat up straighter.

"I'm not supposed to mess around with the fate of the living, but I can't let anything happen to you, so I have to give you a warning. There's been some news spreading where I am… and you must listen. It is important."

Her breath hitched, "tell me."

"I've heard rumors of a war against the gods. A war in which demigods and mortals are allies against the gods of Olympus. Something about overthrowing them from their raised thrones because they don't want to be bossed around or act as minions of the gods. These demigods and mortals seek to end the reign of the gods, and in doing so, set themselves free and becoming the new 'gods' over the earth," said Michael.

"Oh that's really perfect."

Michael frowned at her sarcasm, apparently not so amused. "They want to restrain the gods. They want to weaken them until whatever remaining essence is left in the gods is used to keep them barely alive."

"Gods can't die, they're immortal, aren't they?"

"You're right. But these people don't intend to just weaken the gods. They are medical doctors...scientists. They want to take samples of the blood of the gods and there is a chance - a good chance - that they might be able to replicate the source of the gods' powers and make themselves the new gods."

Ciara stared. She didn't know what to say. She was surprised that the gods' powers could be harvested and replicated just like that. And the whole plan sounded like a far-fetched one; like one out of a science-fiction movie. What she was certain is that if whatever Michael said was possible and likely to happen, then that would be really, really bad.

Power of the gods, when placed in the wrong hands, could lead to the destruction of all humanity. And there are many mortals, as well as demigods, who above all, desired such immense powers and strength for selfish reasons.

Her expression must have betrayed her thoughts, because her brother added, "Of course, not everyone is like that. But you've got to promise me something, Ciara."

She did not hesitate, "anything."

"I know you would never seek what they call the Cure. Just promise me, you won't let anyone else you care about - your friends...other demigods - to get anywhere close to their research lab."

"Why?" She asked curiously. He was right, she'd never go in search for the Cure. She treasured the abilities Hecate had granted her. It was how she could still communicate and see her dead brother. And as far as she knew, the handful of demigod friends she had was not interested in the Cure either.

Ciara watched as her brother snapped his head around suddenly, as if he'd heard something approaching on his side of the line. Then he turned back to Ciara, his eyes desperate.

"They've found me; I must go now. Please just give me your word, Ciara - that you will - "

"I promise," she said.

Relief showed in her brother's features, "Good."

As the connection started to blur, she hanged on to her brother's last words. "Also, you must stop mourning for me. Start living your life. That's the best thing I would want."

And what was left of the blurred projection of her brother faded into thin air. The six pieces of jems she'd laid on the floor had disappeared as payment, and the forest grounds was quiet and still again. The warmth she felt in her chest when he brother was around slowly left her.

Checking her watch, she noted it was ten minutes before midnight. If she wanted to live through the hectic discussions and planning with the rest of her cabinmates for Capture the Flag tomorrow, she'd better head back to bed now.

What really hastened her to get a move on was the sound of distant rolling thunder, and the pitter-patter of raindrops against the forest canopy. For now, the trees would hold the wetness out, but not for long. Already, large droplets of water had managed to seep in, and a wet cooling sensation hit her scalp.

Her skin prickled, yet it was not due to the rain. It was something else that had caught her attention, almost like a sixth sense. She noticed another sound - much softer - of footsteps approaching, and it had nothing to do with being able to hear and sense the dead; she'd know that feeling anywhere. Then as the pair of footsteps drew nearer, Ciara caught a pair of voices.

"...and I promise I'll follow you," a girl was saying.

"In the morning there would be too many people watching. I've got to leave tonight," came the reply. Ciara recognised the voice belonged to Galen.

"It's a lot more dangerous at night. Please just wait till morning."

The pair of demigods came into view from behind a large oak tree. They were so intent in their conversation that they did not even spot Ciara who was just a couple of meters away from them, so she took the opportunity to observe them.

She was right. The guy was tall, slim, wearing a dark grey flannel shirt over a white tee with long black pants, looking pretty casual. His tousled brown hair was damp from standing in the rain. The only thing that made him look out of place was the haversack he was currently shouldering.

Galen had suddenly stopped in his tracks, so abrupt that the girl beside him continued walking a few more paces before realising her companion was no longer beside her before coming to a stop and looking behind too.

Ciara's heart skipped a beat when she realised Galen had noticed her too. Their eyes met briefly, and Ciara quickly directed her gaze at the other girl instead, desperate to fill her mind with other thoughts.

Dark blue eyes… square rimmed glasses, lush raven hair that reaches down to her hips. And tall. Even taller than Galen beside her. And if Ciara had been a guy, she definitely would have thought her pretty. Ciara remembered this girl, she was a daughter of Ares, though she certainly did not look like one.

 _What's her name again?_ Ciara thought. _Dominique? Monica?_ Oh right, she snapped her fingers, _Dominca_. Monica was just her nickname. Got it.

Dominca Paix. The nice Ares girl who loved to help others. She'd used to lend Ciara a listening ear when she was depressed over the sudden death of Michael, before she learnt of her powers to communicate with the dead, and for that Ciara was thankful.

Dominca, who'd followed Galen's line of sight, had also spotted her, "Ciara?"

"Monica!" She called back, "I just needed to clear my head. Was about to go back. What are you two up to?" Then she flicked her eyes towards Galen and added, "Hi!"

"Hi." Galen offered.

Dominca explained, "Galen here, wants to leave camp to -"

"I'm going down to the I.L.B.R. facility to get the Cure," Galen cuts in, then waits, waiting for her to stop him.

"And I was telling him that it's too dangerous at night because that's when the monsters come out. I told him to wait for morning and I'll accompany him there if he really insists on going," said Dominca.

"I'm sorry," Galen carries on, "but I'm going to leave now. I'll... see you when I get back."

He shoulders the backpack again, adjusting the straps, and taking a step past them. But Dominca stops him, flinging an arm out to block his path.

"Wait." She said, "alright. We leave now, okay? I'll go with you. It's too dangerous for you to go on your own, let alone at night. If you can't wait for morning, then I'll go with you now."

Galen hesitates, but finally replies. "You sure?"

"Yes."

"Thank you," he said in a low voice.

"But you give me one minute so I can run down to fetch a couple more friends to go with us. It's safer for us demigods to go as a group," Dominca said.

Galen opened and closed his mouth, as though wanting to argue, but decides against it. "Fine. Just one minute. Then I must leave."

Ciara made up her mind in a split second, which was so unlike her. She turned to Dominca, "I'll help you gather a few others." Then she addressed Galen, "I'm following you there too."

Galen just looked at her. And Ciara could not help but notice the color of his eyes changing like a kaleidoscope - something which many Aphrodite kids could do - from brown to green to blue. It stayed at that light shade of blue that Ciara always found attrac - Don't think that! Careful what you think!

"Guys," Galen said, "I mean it. I'm not going to wait all day." Then he plonks down on the damp ground against a tree trunk and straightens his legs, as the rain starts to shower more heavily.

Ciara and Dominca shared a glance, knowing they had to be fast. Then they turned and sprinted down towards the cabins.

* * *

 **Ciara Ann Williams belong to** _ **ItzBriii.**_ **Dominca Paix belongs to _Images of the Lost._ I know it was just a small part for Dominca, but she'll get her own POV in later chapters. Gotta take turns!**

 **So how did you find Ciara?  
What do you think of Dominca from that little bit you've seen?  
** **And perhaps a blog review on the main cast?**

 **Thanks in advance!**


	3. Dreamland

**Thanks for all the reviews! Looks like it's time for another update :) This has not been an easy chapter to type.**

 **But alas, enjoy!**

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 **Ayumu Kimura, 16, Morpheus**

He was soaring in the skies, just under those giant fluffy, fluffy clouds. Imagine the surprise and horror of airplane pilots if he could swap them for huge chunks of cotton wool instead. He felt the wind running through his hair and slapping his face like cold hands. Past the line of trees… over the ocean… And then…

 _Splash!_ Water filled his lungs, nose. An icy wetness spattered across his skin, and Ayumu's eyes snapped open. Darn it, that had been such a good dream.

Eyes searching in the dark for the source of the water, his gaze settled on a large bucket - which can hold nearly a gallon of water at its full capacity - latched onto the roof of his cabin, just above his bed. And of course, it has been upturned. That's why he's in the state he was in right now.

He was soaking; orange camp T-shirt was clinging on to his body like a second skin and his hair was now plastered to his face, getting into his eyes.

Pushing them out of his eyes, he groaned. This mess would take ages to clean up and it was in the middle of the night. That meant cutting down on at least half an hour of precious sleep time.

 _I'll find out who did this and get them back_ , he thought. _Probably one of the Hermes kids. Maybe that dude who I pranked last week._

Muttering words of annoyance under his breath, Ayumu dragged his body out of bed. Slowly, he pulled the sopping wet sheets and blanket from his bed, changed the mattress, and put on fresh sheets.

By then, unfortunately, he was pretty much awake. Though, no matter, he would have no trouble slipping back off to sleep. As he climbed back to his bunk on the top, he made a mental note to use his Dream Self to look for the culprit so that he could pay him back in full the next morning. Then, he drifted off to sleep again.

As his physical body lulled into a deeper sleep, his Dream Self started to take form. It was something like astro-traveling in a sense. While he was asleep, his Dream Self could leave his body and travel around, so long as it does not have it interact with the objects of the real world. He could fly, travel anywhere, without being detected. His Dream Self could be out there - from exploring the world, seeing the wonders of nature, to scouting around in the camp forest and scheming for the Capture The Flag game tomorrow, and even… stalking a particular pranker from the Hermes cabin…

Mortals call them 'vivid dreams', except this gift Ayumu had was a million times better. He could see what was happening at real time as long as he was in the right place.

His Dream Self had taken form now, and he drifted a few feet off the floor, though still in an upright position. Starting up a slow walk, though his feet never touched the ground, he left the Morpheus cabin. He would've headed right for the Hermes cabin had he not been distracted by two figures from afar, running down Half-Blood Hill at full sprint.

Curiosity peaked, and Ayumu drifted towards the two figures, who he could vaguely make out as girls. As they got closer, he identified them - the unusually kind Ares girl on the left, and the Hecate girl who he always finds near the forest at the entrance of Camp Half Blood from all his dream scouting he did regularly.

He doesn't know them well though. Actually to tell the truth, he doesn't really talk much with the campers here, since socialising was way too exhausting and there were better things to do with that time.

The two girls slowed to a slow jog just past him, so Ayumu kept the pace to catch their conversation.

The Ares was saying, "...so you wake Iridia, and I'll ask Ash if he wants to join."

"And then we'll meet back here first," agreed the other.

"You got it!"

The Hecate girl hurried towards the Apollo cabin and disappeared inside, as the Ares girl marched for the small shed, far away from the rest of the cabins, sitting just short of the forest. It only accommodate one resident - a descendant of the primordial god Tartarus.

Not feeling up to hanging around near the monster infested woods at the moment, Ayumu decided to follow the Hecate girl instead. Besides, he always enjoyed being around the children of Apollo. Their music was soothing, so relaxing, that it really helps him sleep better, though he could manage sleeping very well on his own, thank you very much. But, you get the idea.

By the time Ayumu entered the Apollo cabin, the Ares girl had already shaken Iridia awake, who was silently stirring, shaking off the sleep.

"Sorry, Monica, what did you say again?" Iridia said, trying to concentrate despite just being woken up.

Yet, _ever so polite_ , Ayumu noted, like that one time years ago when he'd accidentally 'walked' into a fellow camper's nightmare by accident and woke up in cold sweat in a panic. Iridia happened to be passing his cabin for breakfast, and saw his face - pale and beaded with perspiration - and helped him, whipping out her magic violin and playing a very lovely, calming melody that drove the terrors away from his mind.

"We've got a situation." Monica explained in a hushed tone, so that she wouldn't wake up the other Apollo kids. "Someone wants to leave camp to the I.L.B.R. facility for the Cure. He wants to leave now. I've tried to persuade him not to, since it was dangerous at night, but he insists."

"Who is that?" Iridia replies.

"Galen."

"Galen?" Iridia repeats, frowning.

"Galen Vikander. From Aphrodite?" Monica said, hoping it would ring a bell.

The confusion drained away from her eyes as she nodded, "Oh. Oh yes, I remember now."

"Yeah, we, meaning Ciara and I, were hoping to get a couple of other campers to accompany him. At least it's safer this way as a group."

Iridia made up her mind quickly, pulling back the blankets and slipping out of bed. "Yes, I'll go. Let me just pack up some things to take with us on the journey."

Monica nodded, stepping to the side of the cabin to give her some space to gather her belongings. Ayumu's Dream Self watched as Iridia pulls her black hair into a ponytail that reaches just below her chin, packed a few toiletries and clothes neatly into her bag. Then she reaches under her bed and withdrew her war fan - a weapon not to be underestimated, since Ayumu had seen it in action before, and an arming sword. When the fan is tucked safely into her bag, with only the handle protruding from the top, and the sword is sheathed and looped through her belt, she strode towards the door of the Apollo cabin, and gestured them to leave.

"After you," Iridia smiled.

Since Ayumu was most definitely unpresent, she was referring to Monica. They both left, leaving Ayumu to float out after them.

"May I know who else you've invited?" Iridia asked.

Monica shrugged, "It's just Ciara, who's gone to search for Ash, you, and me."

"Hmm…" Iridia said, tilting her head, deep in thought.

Monica raised an eyebrow, "why? Do you know someone else who should come along too?"

Iridia paused, before saying, "I think it could be a good idea to bring Ayumu along too. He's got skills that may be useful for us if we're going as such a small bunch."

The real physical Ayumu nearly jolted out of his sleep from what his Dream Self heard. Of all the campers she could have suggested... _him?_ Uh, no thanks, girl. I'm fine and dandy where I am. Besides I need to _sleeeeep_. Oh hang on, I _am_ sleeping.

Apparently Monica was surprised at her suggestion too, because she replied, "That Morpheus kid? I'm not sure he would want to go, assuming you can drag him out of bed."

Thank you very much, Monica, Ayumu thought.

"I am certain." Iridia said, "I feel he will be needed during this quest. Do you think you can convince him?"

"Convince him?" Monica gaped, "I can try, I guess. But where will you be going?"

Iridia turned towards the forest where the entrance to Camp Half-Blood stood. "I will try one more time to persuade Galen like you did. Just using a slightly different technique."

"Uh, okay." Monica said.

Iridia waved, "see you later," and walked away, as Monica glanced at her watch before gasping. Ayumu didn't know why, but she suddenly started running towards the Morpheus cabin.

Then out of nowhere, a vice-like grip clenched around Ayumu's right arm. Wincing, he looked down, but there was nothing circling or even touching his arm. That meant the sensation was from his physical body. The jolt had sent his Dream Self dematerialising, and what was once a vivid dream started to blur, as the image gradually blurred...into just darkness.

"Ayumu!" A voice called from a distant, shaking his arm. "Ayumu Kimura! Wake up!"

He wanted to tell the person to just go away and let him sleep, but the events that had happened prior came flooding to his mind.

"Wake up!" Monica shouted, as loud as she dared with everyone else sleeping around her.

"Mmmph….wanna sleeeeeep….leave alone…." He muttered.

"You need to wake up! This is important," she insists.

Ayumu peeled open his heavy eyelids, and stared at the determined girl in the dark. "Not really."

"You don't even know what I'm -"

He cut in, "I know. I saw you coming in my dream."

Monica stared for a while before understanding drew on her features, "Oh."

Then she added, "if you know, then you need to come with us."

Ayumu snuggled into the blankets, closing his eyes - they were much too heavy to keep open, "Believe me, I would. But I'm way too tired to go now."

That's when the Morpheus cabin door opened for a second time, and Ayumu was truthfully surprised to see Ash - his close friend and child of Tartarus - standing in the doorway with Ciara by her side. That really made Ayumu sit up in bed.

"You agreed to go? I must be going nuts." Ayumu declared, rubbing his eyes and blinking rapidly to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

"Only if you go." Ash jerked his head at him.

"But you go on and on about what a jerk he is, that I never thought I'd live to see the day you two cooperate again."

"I ain't doing this for him, bro." Ash shook his head, "No, I'm going out there to make more _friends_. After that stupid shit got them killed, I've got no one left."

Ayumu knew that he was referring to incident last month when a secret cavern in the forest grounds, where all of the monsters Ash had tamed - he called them friends - was blown up by an explosive.

A week prior to that, Ash had trusted Galen. He trusted him so much that he told the guy about the location where of the cavern in which his monster friends were hiding. And the very next week, that hideout had been blown to smithereens. Everything that resided in there were bits and pieces, yellow goo oozing out of the crevice. Ash had been heartbroken for ages. His friends - those that he could connect to - just gone...like that. And he'd told Ayumu how much he regretted that decision of sharing his secret.

Ayumu remembered just asking Galen about that incident after it happened, but he didn't say anything else other than 'It wasn't me."

"Please go?" Monica said, pulling him out of his thoughts and effectively snapping him to reality.

He looked at Ash and saw those charcoal eyes with a pleading look; one that looked so empty...so lonely and in search for more friends, and sighed.

"Alright. I'll go."

 **Ayumu Kimura belongs to _Deadly Animals Are Cute._ Somehow, he was a bit more difficult to write than I'd expected. I hope I portrayed him fine but let me know if there's anything wrong **

**So how did you find Ayumu?  
Thoughts on the rest of the cast that you've seen?  
**

 **Also, I have a small urge to write little side stories (think short spinoff of about 500 words), for each character on events which happened in the past. It may help to give a clearer image on their backstories. Those may be sporadic, because I'm focusing my time on this main story. But let me know what you think. I could post it on the blog perhaps.**

 **Thanks for the reviews in advance :)**


	4. Into Darkness

**It's been a busy week. But I survived till off day, and typed this chapter. There's a little bit of more juicy plot clues in this chapter, though it's very vague :P Also, since you guys all wanted the short stories for each character, I may do that in the future. For now though, I'll concentrate on the main plot.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Acheron "Ash" Azazel Adams, 19, Son of Tartarus**

 _Was he pissed to be woken up at the most ungodly hour?_ No.

 _Did the very high chance of encountering a monster outside camp scare him?_ Again, no. Being the son of Tartarus sure had its negative points, but there were its perks too. While he seemed to attract as many monsters as the children of the Big Three did, he found it easier to connect with them. Sometimes, if one showed up in the camp forest, he'd find himself talking to them, asking them how their day was, sharing some of his own problems with them... much like talking to a companion, or even a friend. Though it was rare, few of these Monsters then became a lot more accepting of him, even respecting him as their prince. By the way, he had told his friends to drop the formalities countless times, because he didn't want to be respected in that way - he just wanted to be their friend.

 _Does he desire to be "Cured"?_ Now, that's an interesting question. On one hand, the campers would not be so afraid of him. He'd seen a couple of new demigods throw looks of distrust at him when they thought he wasn't looking. It was easy to pass it off; pretend he didn't see those glances and just move on with what he was doing. But truth to be told, it hurts. And after a prolonged time, he thought it was pretty reasonable for someone like him to maybe... have an inclination to be Cured. On the other hand, however, he needed to gather more information on this Cure. Will taking it really be the answer to his problems? Will he still have the demigod scent? Because wasn't stupid as hell to Cure himself of his powers when the monsters could still sniff him out.

"Are you certain about going on this quest?" Ayumu asked in his usual monotonous voice, walking by his side behind Dominca and Ciara, who were chatting in hushed tones.

"I don't think it counts as a quest. There's no prophecy involved." Ash shrugged before giving a sidelong glance at his friend with a smirk, "I'm surprised you got out of bed."

His snark earned him a slap on the arm, "I'm surprised _you_ got out of bed. What happened to 'sleep is for the weak' and all that horseshit?"

"Oh, as much as I'd love to go on this trip to watch how spectacularly the _coward_ fails, I'm going for a different reason," Ash said bitterly.

"I know, you said you wanted to make a few 'friends'." Ayumu made air quotes with his fingers.

But Ash was serious now, and he looked directly at his friend and said in a lower voice, "I trust you, that's why I need to tell you this now."

Upon hearing the tone of his voice, Ayumu dropped his playfulness, "what is it?"

"I've told you of my nightmares before - those of my father, telling me of betrayal here at camp, but last night it was different." Ash swallowed, "last night, he told me if I stayed, I would be the cause of this betrayal."

Ash observed his friend, who remained silent, waiting for him to continue. But when he did not, Ayumu took it upon himself to say something, "Why would you listen to him? You've never really liked him."

True, but in some ways, his father Tartarus was right when it came to certain things. Sure, he kind of hated the way Tartarus chucked him a weapon as a child and basically made him fend for himself to pass his stupid survival test, but looking back now, maybe it did help him a teeny little bit, though he still resented his father for that. About the betrayal, Galen was merely one of the first, but Ash was sure that in a camp filled with demigods who were unsure what to make of a son of Tartarus, he would be experiencing more of such betrayals in the future.

"I can't take the risk that he might be right this time. What if I did cause some terrible thing to happen here? I don't hate everyone at Camp Half-Blood, Ayumu, and I have some good friends around here too."

"But where will you go?" said Ayumu, "after we go to the facility and get Galen the Cure, we'll be returning back to camp."

Right, he hadn't actually thought that far. But maybe along the way, Ash might find a place he belonged. Maybe he could make a circle of monster friends and this time, protect them and live with them. Maybe it was time to move away...for the safety of everyone at camp, because he knew that if his friends at camp were in the same situation, they would do it for him too.

Besides, there was something nagging at him at the back of his mind. In that nightmare last night, Ash did not just get a warning from his father. There was something else to it, and it was the real reason why he was convinced that he would bring misfortune to those at camp. He had not told anyone about it; not even Ayumu, because was not quite sure how to feel about it. He was afraid.

He had been told of a prophecy.

His father had warned him of a part of a prophecy. Just the two lines, nothing more, and nothing less either:

 _Hell is destined to slay, hate unleashed,  
Redemption all but finished._

Ash knew it refers to him. He'd asked Tartarus about it, but his father had declined to explain it, and only confirmed that it was speaking of him.

He'd asked to hear the entire prophecy, but was told that Tartarus himself did not know the complete prophecy. It was stupid to think two lines of the prophecy could determine his actions and deeds, as though his path could be predetermined by the idiot who wrote it, just because he felt like rhyming words that day.

It would be wise to run those lines by Ayumu, since that guy often has a very different and unique way of thinking - many people underestimate him as a dreamy and spaced out person - and therefore may be able to interpret it differently from what Ash thought himself.

Although, ash thought wryly, is there really that many ways to understand those two simple lines? It looked pretty clear from his point of view, that it was a kinda bad situation.

Ash figured he'd mention it to Ayumu later on, when he was less likely to be overheard. He was quite comfortable around Ciara and Dominca, but this was one of those matters he wished to discuss only with Ayumu in private.

"You know, you can't be sure this Cure actually works." Ash raised his voice, so that the girls in front could also hear him.

However, Ayumu replied first, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, "yeah, but we also can't prove that it doesn't work unless we check it out, right?"

"And if that's what will calm the poor guy's mind, I think we should just accompany him there. If it works, then good for him. But if it's all a scam of sorts, at least he won't do something rash again in the future," Ciara added.

"Whatever sinks his boat." Ayumu muttered.

They were already reaching the peak of Half-Blood Hill, and could barely make out the entrance in the dark. Ash could see two figures, both standing under the large oak tree, and drenched from waiting in the rain. A girl was sitting gracefully by the tree, legs tucked under her, with Clinsi - the name in which she gave her war-fan which could transform into a violin and it's bow - in her graceful arms, though she had lowered the musical instrument. The other figure was Galen, his arms crossed against his chest, as he turned his back to her.

Ash was near enough to catch his words, "please don't use that. Don't convince me against going."

Upon hearing his words, Iridia paused, then carefully replaced the instrument in her bag, "I shall not prevent you from going if that is where you truly desire to go."

"Thank you," came the reply.

As soon as the pair spotted them, they approached, but Ash only had eyes on Galen. Ever since that guy betrayed and killed all his monster friends a year ago, they'd never got this close to each other. As Ash burned his eyes on his face, Galen's own flickered up to meet his for a split second before dropping his gaze to the ground and then at Dominca.

"You decided to bring him along?" Galen said, in a very conversational tone which gave nothing away.

Dominca tried to make peace, "Look, I know you and Ash has got a bad history, but I think it's just a misunderstanding. I thought it'll be safer for us because of his influence over monsters…"

"I know." Galen replied a bit too quickly.

Ash just couldn't pass up this perfect opportunity, "At least if my monster pals are feeling a bit hungry, I'd know who to suggest a delicious meal. Just know that if you don't fit in now, you'll never fit in even after getting the Cure, because there is no cure from being a wimp."

"Right." Ayumu said, with a distant look in his eyes, "we'd better be leaving now, because I think I can see a harpy in the distance."

"We can discuss outside the camp borders." Dominca suggested, "the harpies don't bother about us if we're away from the camp."

The bunch of six demigods shuffled past the entrance of Camp Half-Blood, bringing their packs along. Only when they reached the road, a safe distance away from camp, did they stop and drop their packs on the grass.

"Any idea where the Research Facility is?" Ash wondered.

"The exact location of the I.L.B.R. Facility is not clear, since it's on an unnamed island. But according to the news articles, it is based in Phuket." Galen said.

"Asia, huh?" Ayumu muttered mostly to himself, "It isn't a surprise those scientists are Asians."

"It's definitely a long way from here," Iridia said, "but we will manage it if we stick together."

"How are we going to get there?" Ash asked, already dreading the answer.

"By plane. It's the fastest." Ciara shrugged.

Of course, by plane. What did he expect? By boat? Ash snorted at the mental picture of all six of them rowing a dinghy across the Pacific Ocean.

"But not necessarily the safest." Ash added as an afterthought.

Trouble was, air travel and water travel never sat well with him. Tartarus was all about the underworld, and land was the safest when it came to his children. What luck he'd got himself into. Phuket was situated on an island - surrounded by water, in case you missed that part out - and they had to get there via an aeroplane. Perfect. Nothing could go wrong.

Galen surprised him when he said quietly, like he knew what was worrying Ash, "it'll be fine, Zeus won't shoot you down since there are other demigods on the plane too."

"Don't read my thoughts." Ash snapped.

Galen raised his hand in a passive manner, "you never used to mind."

"I didn't use to." Ash said curtly, "but I do now."

Ciara, the ever logical one, could not find another alternative about the transportation issue, "it's the only way. Going by sea will take weeks, and it's risky with the choppy waters this season. We can't possibly walk either, so air travel is the only way."

"May I suggest we book a taxi to the airport while we discuss? It'll take time for it to arrive and standing this long in the rain isn't good for us." Iridia said.

"That's a great idea actually," Ayumu snapped his fingers as he agreed instantly with a yawn, "I could do with a nap in the long journey."

They booked Uber. Mainly because it was in the middle of the night and no taxi in their right mind would even for a second think that there were potential passengers in the dark road of Long Island. It was dangerous to use a phone as monsters could pick up the signals and track them down, but they figured it will only take a while before the taxi picks them up. On top of that, the safety of camp lies not too far away. So if they ran into any serious trouble this early in the trip, they could always run back and call for backup.

As the rain pelted down mercilessly, it was a saving grace when they saw headlights from ahead.

"That's the cab!" Dominca waved, "It says here on the phone to notify us that the ride has arrived!"

The taxi slowed to a stop in front of them, and the driver got out. He had a name tag hanging from a lanyard around his neck confirming his identity as Mr Croates. He had shaggy salt and pepper colored hair, and wore a simple T-shirt and bermudas. His slippers squelched in the wet grass as he helped to stow their bags in the trunk.

"Booking by a Miss Wang Su?" Croates said with a gentle voice, "heading to the airport?"

Iridia nodded, shaking his hand, "please, call me Iridia."

"Hop in!" Croates said, getting into the driver's seat and shutting the door. "Won't do to be late for your flight."

With that, he stepped on the accelerator and they took off into the night.

* * *

 **Ash belongs to _Flaming Fate Zero_. I find him very relatable and human so it was fun to type from his POV. And the relationship between Ash and Ayumu is really adorable in my opinion :) Those two are going to such BFFs.**

 **How did you find Ash?  
Thoughts on the relationship between Ash/Ayumu and Ash/Galen?  
**

 **Bits of the prophecy is being revealed...slowly. I've got the full one typed out (it took ages to get it to rhyme and all) but I'll wait for the opportune moment :P Thanks for the reviews!**


	5. Wrath of Music

**Thanks for all the lovely long reviews I got for the last chapter! The week has been so hectic and it'll be this way till at least next week. Though I hope I can still have time to get the next chapter out on time. Anyways, here goes!**

* * *

 **Iridia Wang Su, 20, Daughter of Apollo**

The seven-seater cab was freezing, and her damp clothes only served to ebb away whatever little amount of heat her body produced. Iridia guessed the rest of their group felt the same too. They were all wet, cold, and needed a change of clothes soon, before all of them caught a cold. Presently, however as there was nothing she could do, she decided to make the best out of the situation, and at least make sure her instruments were in good condition.

For more than five years, Iridia has had a special place in her heart for Clinsi, her war fan which could also turn into a guitar if she wanted. It was a gift from Gabriella, her person whom her fourteen year old self thought she once thought could be more than friends. It turned out to be more of a platonic love - an infatuation or puppy love - instead of the real thing. She and Gabriella had ended the relationship then, though they still remained close friends. They both became busy and caught up with their lives as the years went by, but each time she played Clinsi or used it in battle, it brought back memories of those times with her best friend, which helped to keep those terrible flashes at bay.

Red. So much red, she remembered. On her hands, on her clothes. Fingernails caked with blood. That warm, dark red liquid slippery beneath her trembling fingers, as her grip on the gun slacked. The dense, coppery smell of blood. It was everywhere. Such a foreign object in her hands - it didn't belong to her - she'd never used a gun before so how could she have done that?

Iridia has short flashes of those memories, and she wished she could forget all of them. She hoped that all of it had been a dream, because in real life, how could she have been a killer? A murderer?

The sound of rasping breath haunted her even in her dreams. The sound of a man gasping for air, drowning in his own blood as his punctured lung failed to draw in oxygen for him to function.

 _Snap!_ "Iridia!"

She jerked, surfacing from her dark thoughts. Ash, who had been sitting beside her in the cab had been trying to catch her attention for the past few minutes.

"Sorry. I zoned out." Iridia blinked, trying to clear her head.

"You didn't look so good." Ash said gently, shaking her shoulders a little, "you're feeling okay?"

Ash's eyebrows had scrunched up in a concerned frown, as he searched her eyes for an answer.

Iridia nodded offering a smile, "I'm fine, thanks Ash."

"Mr Croates said we should be arriving at the airport in about twenty minutes, and Dominca is just about to book our flight tickets for the trip to Phuket International Airport. It's pretty costly for six people." Ash filled her in.

"And that's just for economy class," Ayumu adds with his eyes closed, in such a slurred voice that she barely caught it.

"How much is the total?"

"Slightly over two thousand," Ciara answers from the back seat.

They pooled nearly all the money they had together, to ensure they had enough before buying the tickets when they had reached the airport. It was fortunate that Galen had brought a debit card with enough cash in his bank account to cover whatever was remaining.

The six demigods sat in silence for most of the journey. Iridia looked out of the cab window, watching the bright specks of stars twinkling in the vast cloudless sky, wondering if the tranquility of the hunters of Artemis mirrored that of the stars. She was lost in her thoughts, and only vaguely heard the driver speaking.

"Ash, that's your name, isn't it?" Croates said, looking at Ash in the reflection of the rear view mirror.

"Mmhmm, how did you know?" Ash wondered.

Croates shrugged, glancing at Iridia, "I just heard your friend calling you that earlier."

"Well, yeah, my name's Ash, short for Acheron." Ash explained, "nice to meet you."

"Oh no, no. Please don't be offended," Croates said quickly, licking his lips, "I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

"We're not offended, Mr Croates. I mean, it's hard not to hear the conversations in this small car."

The driver nodded, relaxing a little, then looked at Iridia. "If you don't mind me asking, Miss Wang - I mean, Iridia - what calls you to fly to Phuket?"

It was easy to give a reason, "oh, you know... We need an escape from the cold weather here. And we've heard there are some really beautiful beaches there."

Mr Croates's eyes lit up, "that's true! I happened to travel there with my kids a couple of months ago. The beaches are a sight to behold!" But then his smile faltered, "Though I've heard they are clearing the natural fauna on an uninhabited island far offshore to construct some research laboratory. It's really a pity how mankind would just destroy such a place which was full of life for a facility they could have built anywhere else."

"I heard they were doing that to develop a Cure." Iridia said carefully.

Iridia caught the flicker of irritation on the driver's face, "the _Cure_ ," he spat, "yeah, right. It's a wonder how people actually believe their advertising campaign and go for it. Load of bullshit if you ask me."

Their taxi had already reached the airport, and were stuck in a long line of cars waiting to drop their passengers off.

"What makes you think that?" Iridia said.

" _What makes you think that?_ " Croates mimicked in her voice, which was astoundingly accurate. "I'll leave you to find that out on your own. But, girl, think about this: If you were one of those gifted with psychic abilities would you choose to give it away, or use it either for personal gain or even to help others?"

"Unless…" Galen said softly from the back row, "unless these people - the gifted, I mean - wants to be accepted by society."

They finally managed to stop at a drop off point far away from the main section of the airport. Croates turned around in his seat to look at Galen. Their eyes met - Croates's grey eyes against Galen's brown, neither of them looking away.

"Acceptance is a hopeless desire, boy." Croates said, with a sad frown, "humans, and even animals - it's part of our nature though we pretend by saying otherwise. But truth to be told, deep down, we never truly accept people who are different from us."

Galen dropped his gaze, suddenly curious in the two rings - one gold and one silver - which he always wore on the third and fourth finger of his right hand.

Croates seemed to have realised the discomfort he had caused, because he changed the subject. "I'll drop you three girls here to go ahead and book your flight tickets in the airport, while the guys can follow me till we get closer to the main part of the airport before unloading your belongings. At least you can safe time this way."

"We should stick together." Dominca said immediately from the seat just beside the driver, "We'll wait."

"Trust me on this," Croates insisted, "as you wait, there might not be any more seats left on the plane. Then you'll really have to split up. It'll be worse. Besides that's the reason why I suggested you three girls to stick together."

Dominca turned to the rest of them, waiting to hear their opinion.

"He's right." Ciara said, "you, Iridia and I can start queuing first. The guys can join us later."

Dominca looked unsure, but she too, saw the logic in the situation and agreed. "Alright, c'mon girls."

Since she didn't have much bulky items, Iridia thought she might as well just bring the bag containing Clinsi along. Croates put out his hand to stop her.

"Miss, there are baggage trolleys at the drop off point further up. There's not need to burden yourself with your belongings. They are quite safe here. I'm sure Ash and his friends will take good care of your...violin?"

Ayumu stirred from his slumber, rubbing his eyes as he soon became aware of his surroundings. He seemed to have been following the conversation all along, because he turned to Iridia with a yawn, "you should just bring your violin along. Keep safe."

To be honest, she didn't really know Ayumu all that well, but she'd heard from few other campers who knew the guy that though he looked blur and lost in his own world at times, he was smarter than he looked. Even so, had Ayumu not asked her to bring Clinsi along, she would have anyway. Clinsi had always been by her side since she was young, and having it around made her feel secure.

"No worries," she smiled at the driver, "I can manage. My violin isn't too heavy."

Croates looked as though he wanted to insist further, but decided against it. So Iridia just grasped the strap of her violin case and got out of the taxi. Seeing her about to get up, Dominca and Ciara mirrored her, and the three of them marched up the steps, towards the airport gates. Iridia thought she caught a glimpse of silver from Ciara's belt, and was glad that she, too, had decided to keep her weapon within reach.

Dominca turned on the spot to give a little wave at the guys in the taxi as they watch as Croates filtered to the second lane and go past the long line of unloading vehicles.

* * *

The screen of the electronic ticket booking machine flashed, prompting for a payment method. Dominca selected the 'debit card' option with a light touch of her index finger.

 _Please swipe your card_ , the screen read.

"O - ookay." Dominca said tentatively, not having booked plane tickets before. She turned to Ciara, "are you holding on to Galen's card?"

The girl nodded, whipping the card out of her pocket and swiping it as instructed and pocketing the card again.

 _Please wait while your boarding passes are being printed._

Interesting. Though this was not the first time Iridia had taken a flight, she had never really booked the tickets on her own. When she needed to return to study another semester of the Bachelor of Fine Arts, her master usually does the pre-booking for her.

She felt a light tap on her shoulder, and spun around only to come face to face with a short and stout man who reached no higher than her waist. Raising her eyebrows in question and trying to kick out the urge to stoop down when he was talking, as it may strike as rude.

"Excuse me, I believe you may have dropped something." The man said. He had a posh way of speaking, and his words were slightly accented.

Iridia dropped her gaze to the floor, searching for anything they might have misplaced.

"That way." The man pointed at a spot about five feet behind them. By now, both Dominca and Ciara had heard their conversation and they too, looked around.

There was indeed something lying on the ground - a small flat and smooth object, which looked like… a card?

The man shrugged, "might have dropped out of your pocket on your way. I just thought it may be something important."

Ciara had her hand in her pocket, double checking that she was still holding on to Galen's debit card, she frowned, "I have Galen's card here, so…"

"Don't worry, I'll get it." Iridia said, and thanked the short man for his kindness before hurrying over to pick up the card.

She was right, it was a card. But flipping it over, she saw three words was stamped on the hard backing of the card in capital letters: YOU WERE FOOLED!

A bubble of irritation flitted through her. Her mind tried to reason with herself. It was just a stupid prank - an immature one for a man this age. Yet some part of her was ruffled. She wanted to do this mission quickly and smoothly with minimal disruption just so that her friend could have a peace of mind after he learns more about the Cure. All these petty pranks were just obstacles in her goal, and she hated it when her plans were sidetracked. She had always been a person of a single thought, fueled by completing one goal at a time.

Looking up at the man, who was laughing to himself so heartily that his round shoulders shook up and down, she handed the card back to him with a controlled and cool voice.

"I don't think it belongs to us. You must have been mistaken. "

He wheezed, gasping to draw air into his lungs and let out another chuckle.

"I got you good!" He said, wiping tears out of the corners of his eyes and slipping the card into his trouser pocket.

"Now if you don't mind," Iridia said, glancing back at the screen of the ticketing machine which read, _Please collect your boarding passes, thank you._

Iridia bent down to scoop up the six boarding passes, only to come up empty. Was the machine spoilt or out of order? Why hadn't it printed their boarding pass?

"Perhaps you are looking for this?" came the annoyingly polite voice from behind her again. Iridia forced herself to keep her anger in check and looked around at the plump man.

He stood there, with his chest puffed out in pride that he'd managed to trick all three of them twice in a span of less than a minute. His meaty little face pulled in a proud grin, showing a set of yellow and uneven teeth and his beady little eyes glinted with mischief. Fanned out in his hands he waved the six boarding passes in their face.

Apparently, Dominca too, was starting to lose her patience.

"Please hand them over," she said curtly, "we're in a rush."

The man shook his head, teasing as he held the boarding passes tanganisingly close, "Nah-uh. I hope whatever appointment you have at Phuket can wait because all six of you are going to miss your flight."

What had been controlled irritation threatened to flare, but Iridia barely managed to contain her anger, breathing in deeply like how her master used to teach her.

 _Detach your heart from your mind, and you will be able to think clearly. Feel the anger drain away like the trickles of water on a rainy day._

"Give them back." Iridia said firmly, making a swipe for the paper in his fist. But the stout man moved with surprising agility, drawing his hand back as she launched hers out.

"I think not." He smirked.

"But you don't even need it!" Dominca shouted.

The man tilted his head, as though he was pondering at what she'd just said, "you're right, I don't need it. But you won't need all of them either."

"What do you mean?" Ciara said.

"Let's just say," the man snickered, "even if I were to give them to you, you'd only need three boarding passes."

Ciara jumped to the point first, having understood the meaning behind his words. "What did you do to the guys?" she growled.

* * *

 **Okay, things are really starting to escalate from this point and I'm planning for a bit of action in the next chapter :D Iridia Wang Su belongs to** **Yngvarr Frey.**

 **Review:  
1) Thoughts on Iridia?  
2) Any prediction on Croates? (I know some of you did mention in your previous review that he seems suspicious)  
3) Thoughts of this chapter?**

 **Thanks for the reviews! I really really appreciate them. They're like the fuel that gets me to keep writing :D**


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